Norwegian’s Caribbean and Spanish routes contribute to continued traffic growth and higher load factor in January

New routes from the U.S. to the Caribbean and domestic routes in Spain had a positive effect on passenger figures in January. Norwegian carried more than 1.7 million passengers last month, a considerable increase compared to January last year. The load factor was 81.7 percent, up 1.7 percentage points.

In January, Norwegian carried 1,756,656 passengers, an increase of 9 percent compared to the same month previous year. The total passenger traffic (RPK) increased by 14 percent and the total capacity (ASK) increased by 12 percent.

In December, Norwegian launched new routes from Baltimore/Washington, New York and Boston to the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. The service has been well received by customers both in the Caribbean and the U.S., as well as Europeans connecting through New York. Norwegian has extended the season through April on selected routes due to the positive response.

“We are very pleased that we have attracted more passengers and achieved a higher load factor in a traditionally slower month. The growth is primarily due to international expansion, with domestic flights in Spain and the routes between the French Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast. In addition, more and more customers are choosing Norwegian on intercontinental routes,” said CEO Bjørn Kjos.

Norwegian is continuing its fleet renewal program in 2016, with the delivery of 21 brand new aircraft. A total of 17 brand new Boeing 737-800s and four 787-9 Dreamliners will be delivered in 2016. Norwegian will also take delivery of four Airbus A320 neos that will be leased out. In addition, seven older 737-800s will exit the fleet. With an average age of 3.6 years, Norwegian’s fleet is one of Europe’s newest and most environmentally friendly.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Oslo, Norway, award-winning Norwegian Air Shuttle is the third largest low-cost carrier in Europe and the world’s seventh largest. Norwegian offers more nonstop European destinations from the United States than any other European airline with seamless connections across the continent. Norwegian offers 35 nonstop routes from the U.S. to London and Scandinavia, as well as six routes from the U.S. to the Caribbean. Onboard features include more legroom than most competitors and free in-flight Wi-Fi on short-haul routes. The airline carried 24 million passengers in 2014 on the world’s most modern and eco-friendly fleet to its network that stretches across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East, as well as long-haul flights to the U.S. and Southeast Asia – a total of 439 routes to 132 destinations. Over 5,500 people in Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, and the U.S. work for Norwegian. Follow @Fly_Norwegianon Twitter, join the discussion on Facebook and keep up with our adventures on Instagram. For more information on Norwegian and its network, visit norwegian.com.